It is not often that a meeting of the Hamilton County Election Board ends with applause, but that happened Tuesday morning in Noblesville.
The board voted unanimously to replace precinct-based voting with countywide vote centers starting with the 2027 municipal elections. State law requires a unanimous vote of the board.
Under the new system, voters will no longer have to vote at an assigned precinct on Election Day. They can vote at any vote center in the county.
“This gives voters more flexibility while allowing us to build an election system that can better accommodate Hamilton County’s continued growth,” said County Clerk Kathy Kreag Williams, who wrote Indiana’s original vote center legislation while serving in the Indiana House.
Board Chairman Ray Adler pointed to the plan’s broad support from the county commissioners, the county council, and both Republican and Democratic party leaders.
Last year, the proposal fell one vote short. Adler, the Republican appointee, voted no because he wanted to see how vote centers worked in Allen County first. Adler and the local GOP have since come on board.
“I had concerns last year because this is a major change that will affect hundreds of thousands of voters,” Adler said. “We’ve had another year to study the process, learn from other counties, and strengthen our own plan. I’m comfortable that we’re ready to move forward.”
Greg Purvis, the Democratic appointee, voted yes both times.
“We didn’t all start in the same place on this issue, but we took the time to work through the concerns and get to a plan we could all support,” Purvis said.
Four people spoke during public comment. All of them supported the change.
Schools return as voting sites
The county now uses 102 polling sites. The plan calls for 57 vote centers. The county says that is more than double the 28 that state law requires. Starting the change in 2027 gives officials time to work out problems before the higher-turnout 2028 presidential election.
Most of the vote centers are schools. Several school districts had stopped serving as polling places because of security concerns, but all have now agreed to host voting again. According to the plan, using schools will save almost $20,000 a year in rental fees.
“One of the biggest reasons this proposal works is because our local school districts have stepped up as partners once again,” Williams said.
The vote centers will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the May 4 primary and the Nov. 2 general election. Most will have eight voting machines. Seven sites that also serve as early voting locations will have 10. That includes Fishers’ Roy G. Holland Memorial Park Building and Billericay Park Building.
The plan must still be approved by the Indiana Election Division. Before the first vote center election, the clerk’s office will mail a postcard to every registered voter explaining the change and listing every location.
Proposed 2027 vote centers:
Asterisk marks sites with 10 voting machines.
Smoky Row Elementary School
Carmel Elementary School
Cherry Tree Elementary School
Clay Center Elementary School
Mohawk Trails Elementary School
College Wood Elementary School
Forest Dale Elementary School
Towne Meadow Elementary School
Woodbrook Elementary School
John Hensel Government Center
Jill Perelman Pavilion*
Wilfong Pavilion at Founders Park*
Carmel Clay Public Library*
Hamilton Heights High School
Hamilton Heights Student Activity Center
Red Bridge Community Building
Brooks School Elementary School
Deer Creek Elementary School
Fall Creek Elementary School
Fishers Elementary School
HSE Administrative Offices
Geist Elementary School
Southeastern Elementary School
Harrison Parkway Elementary School
Hoosier Road Elementary School
HSE Fishers Academy
Lantern Road Elementary School
New Britton Elementary School
Riverside Intermediate School
Sand Creek Intermediate School
Thorpe Creek Elementary School
Billericay Park Building*
Delaware Township Community Center (back entrance)
Roy G. Holland Memorial Park Building*
Hazel Dell Elementary School
Hinkle Creek Elementary School
Noble Crossing Elementary School
Noblesville East Middle School
Noblesville West Middle School
Promise Road Elementary School
Stony Creek Elementary School
Noblesville High School
Forest Park Inn
Forest Park Lodge
Hamilton County Fairgrounds*
Osprey Pointe Pavilion at Morse Beach
Sheridan High School
Carey Ridge Elementary School
Shamrock Station
Westfield Schools Administration Building
Oak Trace Elementary School
Shamrock Springs Elementary School
Washington Woods Elementary School
Westfield Schools Transportation Building
Midland Crossing Elementary School
Cool Creek Park Nature Center*
White River Township Community Building